Subject: Re: intelligent robots ...
From: David Artman
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 14:16:51 -0500
Rob Smith wrote:
>
> Jonathan W. Sodt wrote:
> >
> > Is a toaster a robot?
> >
> I don't think so, because its level of interaction with its environment
> is so limited. Give me a toaster with arms which can put in the bread
> itself and then butter it when it is done and I might reconsider. The
> latter seems much more in the spirit of 'robot' to me.
>
> ROB
Unfortunately, the English language is not designed to allow for subjective
opinions on the applicability of a noun to a given thing. There is a
dictionary of English language which defines robot, and anything which fits
the definition's denotations is one.
I think that perhaps you are confusing the word "robot" with
"automaton". Mind you, the word robot is applicable to non-decision making
devices (assembly lines, for example), so it can be used with kitchen
devices as well.
You are correct, however, when you suggest that the popular
connotations of the word lead to "automaton". That is the sad plight of the
language today and its careless usage.
And by the way, don't knock toasters; they are the masters of the
environment contained between their coils, above their springs. If you don't
believe me, push down the spring lever and stick your hand in it's slot; I
guarantee the toaster will prove to be more in control, at that time, of
that slot's environment than are you or the bread ;> .
--
\\////
(@ @)
--oOOo-()-oOOo-------
The
Watcher
The view expressed herein are mine.
My employer, for them, hasn't paid a dime.
Subject: Biographic data base for anybody
From: Arkadiusz Jankowski
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 18:24:39 +0100
Letter from: Andrzej Brodziak, Silesian School of Medicine
Subject: Biographic data base for anybody. The planetary
human resources base (PHRB). New Internet service,
which you could offer for any people.
LETTER TO MEMBERS OF YOUR CLUB
AND "THE JOURNAL OF IDEAS"
You are predestinated to open a new acivity! You could
found the first Internet centre accessible for anybody, for
billions people which will start to gather common biographic
records. It would be the equivalent of data as in WWW, but
not for institutions, this time for a person, for any people.
Probably you could gain as much as the Editor of "Who is who
in the world" and simultaneously you will support the right
way of the development of our planetary civilisation.
Arguments for your potential clients.
Why any people could be interested to place his
biography in the memory of your server?
Anybody has his own particular story to tell to all
other people in the world. It could be the autobiography,
formulated in a very interesting way, like a literature
story. It can be additionally also the unique story witten by
the author of the autobiography. It could be the list of
papers published by him and some his not published texts,
rejected by "malicious" reviewers or "narrow-minded"
editorial boards. All data of this kind should be summarized
at the end of the record by kind of a list of key words or
some other kind of "parameters" of the life and of a person.
As an example I am proposing to put in this fixed form
summarizing life and person review (SLPR) three important
questions:
1. Which is your particular feature, talent, trait of
personality or competence, so distinct that other are
jealous of it even?
2. Which movies (idols) seen in the past impressed you so
much that influenced all your life?
3. Which novel or psychological / philosophical dissertation,
read by you impressed you so much that changed your life
attitude.
Personal data of your clients would constitute the
fragment of the most important data base in the world, namely
the planet human resources base (PHRB). It will be the most
reviewed and searched data in the near future.
Arguments for investors initiating public centres of
autobiographic data (PCAD)
There are many institutions who supply already now
similar services. Many people have to day their "enlarged
visit card" in the form of their records in different kinds
of "Who is who" books or on WWW pages of their institutions
(e.g. see WWW pages of the author of this letter -
http://www.slam.katowice.pl.; klin5chwinfomed. slam.katowice.
pl). But you could arrange the publication of interesting
texts about the idea of PHRB in journals and other multimedia
to convince everybody to order the service in your CENTRE.
This time it is a chance for anybody, not for prominent
persons, but for average people, who can become prominent in
the future, because they will think over their mythology,
their legend, because they will improve their self-esteem
mainly therefore that PHRB will be really reviewed in the
near future by many reasons which are unusual to day.
Why I am transferring in details this idea? Which is my
personal
interest? Yes I am motivated by several reasons:
1. I need data about people ready to open a kind of PCAD with
eventual detailed characteristics about proposed form of
SLPR and possible kind of searching through.
2. I can offer, for eventual authorized utilization (or paper
publication), also be e-mail, the text of my next book,
concerning the subject of "personal legend and personal
mythology" which can convince anybody to this idea. The
book has the title "An your unusual life, and your unusual
mind also ..." and is based on the review of the phenomena
of lifes of most know creators (scientist, writers, paiters
and so) I could negotiate the rule of utilization of this
text by you. The transient difficulty is that this book is
still in Polish language only, but it is the challenge for
in the Internet World possibilities and should be very easy
to overcome. The text of the book could be transfed by e-
mail for another member of the club who knows Polish
language, for review and eventual translation (half of
author tandiems - it is the stake). All the book is
accessible as a file under
ftp:\\infomed.slam.katowice.pl./pub/Medic/Bmind. Copyrights
for paper publication by Andrzej Brodziak. Electronic
utilization is free.
3. I am ready to cooperate to in the organisation of the
scientific conference (with real, physical participation)
about PHRB, PCAD and SLPR.
Please send you remarks on my e-mail address.
Prof. Andrzej BRODZIAK, M.D., Ph. D., Sc. D.
5-TH DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL DISEASES
OF SILESIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
41-902 BYTOM, ul. Zeromskiego 7 (POLAND)
tel. & fax (4832) 812122 ; tel. (4832)
810231 ext. 286
INTERNET address:
klin5chwinfomed.slam.katowice.pl
http://www.slam.katowice.pl